


Destcember 2020

by arcticfrostdoesthings



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Destcember (Destiny), Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:47:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 6,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27820243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcticfrostdoesthings/pseuds/arcticfrostdoesthings
Summary: This is where I'll keep all my entries for Destcember 2020! I'll try to write something for every prompt, but we'll see how that goes lol
Kudos: 11





	1. Exodus

“So, where are we headed?”

Artemis considered Virgil’s question as she stared out the window of her ship. She was currently sitting in Earth’s orbit, as she had been for almost two hours.

She wasn’t sure where she wanted to go. After the Darkness had taken Titan, Io, Mars, and Mercury, she’d been feeling… lost. Artemis had been leaning on the familiarity these past few months, and to see it all vanish was jarring. She felt like she was just... drifting.

So here she was, sitting in orbit, unsure of what to do.

“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully as Virgil stared at her expectantly.

Virgil ticked his shell back and forth, thinking. “You miss them, don’t you?” he said after a moment of silence.

“I know, it’s silly,” she said. “But… I still miss those places. I almost didn’t believe they were actually  _ gone _ until I saw them for myself.”

“You’re not the only one,” Virgil said. “I know Phoenix-8 was really upset about Titan being gone.”

They were silent for a few moments.

“Well,” Artemis sighed. “We still have work to do, don’t we?”

“Europa?”

Artemis nodded. “Europa. We aren’t quite done with it yet.”

Virgil entered the coordinates into the ship, and they finally left for Europa.


	2. Thin Ice

If the Light was a warmth comfortable enough to stave off the cold of Europa, Stasis was downright freezing.

Apollo didn’t _dislike_ it, not exactly. It was uncomfortable to use, with it being the Darkness and all, but it was _powerful_ and _that_ was why Apollo was drawn to it. He relished the feeling of wielding something other than Light for once, of finally crossing the line.

“Apollo?” his ghost, Cricket, asked as she hid inside the hood of his cloak. “Are you sure this- using Stasis- is a good idea?”

Apollo snorted as he stared across the Europan landscape at the Pyramid. “Of course not. But what other choice do we have? The Stranger’s right- the Light isn’t enough.”

Cricket shivered against his neck. “Of course, but remember, Stasis is only a tool. You have to be careful to not go too far.”

“You worry too much, Cricket.”

“I know.” she sighed. “I just can’t shake the feeling we’re standing on thin ice.”

He certainly felt like he was. Like one misstep would crack the fragile ice he was standing on and he would plunge into the freezing depths.

“Well, we might be,” Apollo replied. “But I’ll be careful.”

Cricket huffed. “When are you ever careful?”

Apollo smiled. “You got me there.” his smile faded. “But I’m serious. I’ll be careful.” 

Apollo watched the Pyramid as it floated ominously in the distance. “The ice won’t break.”


	3. Dearest Wish

“Hey, are those Ahamkara bones?”

Artemis looked up from the knife she had been sharpening and looked up at Crow, who was standing where he usually stood whenever he was in the Spider’s safehouse. Artemis usually came to keep Crow company right after a hunt, but he had yet to ask her about the Ahamkara bones that she wore on her arms. Until now, that is.

She lifted her arm so that it caught the low light, considering her answer. “Yes, they are,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

Crow shrugged. “Just curious. I’ve always wondered how wish magic worked.” he nodded at her. “Does it whisper to you?”

“Nothing more than the occasional  _ O bearer mine, _ ” she replied. “I don’t think these bones are strong enough to grant any wishes anyway.”

Crow nodded, and the two guardians went back to what they were doing before. The silence lasted a few minutes before Crow broke it again.

“So, hypothetically, what would you wish for if you ever met an Ahamkara?” he asked.

Artemis froze. What  _ would _ she wish for? What would be worth it? Bringing Cayde back? Sagira?

“Relax, it was just a hypothetical question,” Crow said, smiling awkwardly.

Artemis smiled back, then quickly turned back to her knife. She tried to forget the conversation, but one question lingered in her mind.

What  _ was _ her dearest wish?


	4. Eye for an Eye

If you asked Artemis what her favorite spot in the Last City was, she’d say the rooftop of her apartment building.

There wasn’t anything special about that particular rooftop. It was just an easy spot to escape to when she didn’t want to be around anyone.

Tonight, though, Artemis just wanted fresh air.

“Thought I’d find you up here.”

Artemis whipped her head around to see Wyvern climbing up the last of the stairs to the roof. He wore a coat and a scarf wrapped around his neck. Artemis looked at his heavy coat, then back down at her hands. She didn’t feel the slightest chill.

Wyvern sat on the edge of the roof beside her. He shivered. “It’s freezing up here,” he commented.

Artemis hummed in agreement. 

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something,” Wyvern said. “It’s a bit out of the blue, but I’ve had it in the back of my mind for a while.”

Artemis glanced sideways at him. “Shoot.”

Wyvern took a deep breath, as if preparing himself. He turned and looked her in the eyes. “Why did you kill Uldren?”

Artemis jerked back as though he had struck her. “W-what do you mean? I- He was a dangerous criminal, he would have caused much more damage-”

Wyvern narrowed his eyes. “‘Mis, no one believes that. There was more to it, wasn’t there?”

Artemis swallowed and looked back to the city. She thought carefully about her answer.

“You’re right. There is more to it,” she replied. “It was… vengeance. Uldren killed Cayde. I killed Uldren. An eye for an eye.”

Wyvern was silent for a long moment. Then, “I suspected as much.” he stood up, offering a hand to her. “Let’s get back inside. It’s freezing.”

Artemis let him pull her up and followed him to the stairs. She paused at the edge of the first stair, then quickly followed Wyvern down.

For the first time that night, she felt cold.


	5. Nightmare Before Dawn

Apollo sat up in his bed, breathing hard. He clutched his blanket tightly between his fingers. The clock on his nightstand read 5:46 AM.

“Apollo? Are you okay?” Cricket’s eye glowed in the dark as she stared at him from her nest on the nightstand.

He rubbed his eyes wearily. “Yeah. It was just a nightmare.”

He couldn’t even remember what the nightmare was about. He distinctly remembered feeling trapped and suffocating. He also remembered a voice, though he couldn’t recall what it had said. It sounded hauntingly familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where he had heard it before. The only thing he knew was that it had terrified him.

Cricket squinted at him. “Are you sure? You look… shaken.”

Apollo shook his head. “I’m fine. Seriously.” He laid back down, though he wasn’t sure he would be getting back to sleep anytime soon.

Outside, the sun was just starting to rise, making the sky look pink. He watched it for a while before closing his eyes.

“Just a nightmare,” he murmured again. It didn’t comfort him in the slightest.


	6. Triad

“Hey, I just had a thought.”

Wyvern looked up from the book he was reading. Apollo was sitting upside down on the couch, flipping a knife in the air. He caught it everytime, but Wyvern was still worried he would accidentally cut a finger off.

Normally, Wren would have scolded him for being so careless, but he was out with Artemis and Phoenix, so it was just the two of them in the apartment, and the responsibility fell on him (naturally).

“You’re going to cut yourself with that,” Wyvern said.

Apollo glared at him. “No I’m not. I’ve been doing this for decades.”

“And how many times have you been cut?”

Apollo made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat. “ _ As _ I was saying before, I was just thinking about how there are so many trios in our lives”

Wyvern raised an eyebrow, still watching the knife carefully. “Trios?”

Apollo glanced over at him before his gaze flickered back to the knife. “Yeah. Like the three hive gods, three classes, three subclasses, hell, even three guardians for a strike team.”

Wyvern shrugged, fiddling with the pages of his book. “It’s just the way things are. Three is a good number. Not too many, not too little.”

Apollo hummed in response, his mind already elsewhere. Wyvern watched him for a moment longer before turning back to his book, returning to the peaceful quiet from before.


	7. Beyond Stasis

“So, Stasis, huh?”

Artemis looked over at Phoenix, who was staring at the frozen bodies of Hive Artemis had left in the field behind them. 

Artemis smiled. “It’s okay, you can ask.”

Phoenix chuckled sheepishly. “Soooo, is it ice powers?”

“Kind of,” Artemis said, summoning a shard of Stasis, clutching it in her hand. “It feels like ice, but… colder, and distinctly feels more like Darkness than the regular ice you see on Europa.”

“So… ice powers.”

Artemis sighed. “Yeah. Ice powers.”

Phoenix hummed thoughtfully. “You think there are more Darkness powers than just Stasis?”

Artemis glanced at her. “What do you mean?”

“Like how we use the Light in different forms. Maybe the Darkness has more than just Stasis in store.” Phoenix kicked at stone, watching it skitter down a hill.

Artemis shivered. “I don’t want to think about that. Using Stasis is bad enough.”

Phoenix studied her for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay. It was just a thought.”

Artemis noticed that she never brought it up again.


	8. Tyrant

_ And the tyrant looked upon his tyranny and wept. _

Those words echoed in Artemis’s mind as she and Virgil left the moon bunker. She stared down at the shotgun in her hands, thinking about its previous owner.

_ Felwinter only wanted to help people, _ she thought,  _ and Rasputin killed him… because he was jealous? _

“Artemis? You okay?” Virgil asked.

“Yeah,” she replied. “I was just thinking. Why did Rasputin tell us all that? Certainly doesn’t make me like him any more.”

Virgil spun his shell. “I think he was trying to get us to trust him.”

Artemis snorted. “Yeah, he did a great job at that.”

“Well, would you rather have known that he killed the Iron Lords or be unaware?” Virgil asked. “I think he’s sorry for it anyway.”

Artemis glanced sideways at her ghost. “Are you  _ defending _ him?”

“I’m just saying.”

When Artemis still looked unconvinced, he sighed. “Look, it doesn’t matter if you trust him or not. He’s the only one that can destroy the Almighty, unless you have another plan.”

Artemis looked down at the shotgun again. “Unfortunately I don’t.”

The two stood outside the bunker for a few moments, both silent.

“Let’s get back to the ship,” Virgil suggested, turning toward her.

“Yeah,” Artemis replied. The shotgun suddenly felt heavy in her hands as they started to walk away from the bunker. “Let’s go.”


	9. Blood

The last thing Artemis remembered was falling off of Ghaul’s ship.

Now she lay among the debris of a building, in too much pain to move. She forced herself to open her eyes and take in her surroundings. 

She was sprawled under a bridge, which had probably saved her from being picked off by the Red Legion. Legionnaires and Psions patrolled the streets above her, pointing their weapons at anything that moved. She could feel water from a broken waterway soak into her armor.

Artemis rolled onto her back, ignoring her body’s screams of protest. She managed to haul herself to her feet by leaning heavily on the wall beside her. She managed to walk a few steps before she stumbled and had to stop to catch her breath.

The thing that concerned her most was her connection to the Light. It was gone, like someone had reached inside her and ripped out her lungs. She suspected it had to do something with the Traveler being trapped in a cage, but she also feared that something had happened to her ghost. She hadn’t seen Virgil since she had woken up, and she couldn’t help but fear the worst.

Artemis pressed her hand into her side, and it came away red. She’d seen enough blood to last multiple lifetimes and had gotten used to seeing it. But now, with the Light and her Ghost gone, the sight of it terrified her.

Nevertheless, she wiped the blood from her mouth and forged ahead.


	10. Heresy

“So, who are we looking for again?”

Artemis glanced sideways at Apollo while Wyvern sighed in disappointment.

“First of all, get your feet off the dash,” she said.

Apollo stuck his tongue out at her. “You can’t make me.”

“I  _ could _ just kick you out of the ship.” Artemis gestured to the front window, where they floated in the Moon’s orbit.

Apollo scowled and put his feet down.

“To answer your question,” Wyvern began, “Eris wants us to investigate a hive ritual beneath the Scarlet Keep. Something about Crota’s daughters trying to revive someone.”

“So, the usual then?” Apollo said.

Artemis rolled her eyes. “Pretty much.”

Apollo sighed. “I can’t believe we have to venture into  _ another _ pit. Can’t the Hive pick another spot to do their rituals? Preferably somewhere not underground?”

“Apparently they call it the Pit of Heresy,” Wyvern noted, holding up the screen he had been reading.

“Oooh, dramatic,” Apollo said.

Artemis sighed. “Virgil, enter the coordinates for the Scarlet Keep,” she said, nodding at her ghost.

“We’ve got a few heretics to visit.”


	11. Night of the Hunter

There’s an old story that had passed through the ears of the children of the Last City, about a lone hunter that single handedly saved the city from a Fallen invasion. The story had been told so many times that simple details like their race, gender, and even name was different depending on who you listened to. The only consistent detail was that they were a hunter.

They were called the Night Hunter.

They stood on the city walls, scaring away any threats just by the sight of them. Their hand cannon could be heard throughout the city streets as they fought off anything that threatened the safety of humanity.

One night, however, as the hunter went on their nightly patrol, they got caught in the middle of a Fallen invasion.

They quickly got to work. Armies of dregs, wiped out by a barrage of knives. Whole Spider tanks torn limb from limb. Vandals dissolved into nothing by the Hunter’s void tether.

They say the battle lasted a whole night, finally ending when the Hunter killed the last Fallen Captain. The ground outside the City was littered with the bodies of the Eliksni.

They say the Hunter disappeared after that, after ensuring the residents of the city were safe. And though no record of them existed except for the story, some still believe the Hunter’s still out there, waiting to make their return.


	12. Live by the Sword

Artemis watched the white wisp from a distance as it darted around the Lunar surface.

She narrowed her eyes at it. Ever since she met Toland in the Ascendant realm, she hadn’t trusted him. Her talks with him on the Moon hadn’t changed her opinion of him- in fact, she thought she disliked him even more now. On the rare occasion she  _ did  _ talk to him, she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

“That’s Toland, right?” Apollo said, pointing.

Artemis jumped. She had forgotten the other hunter had come along with her. “Yeah, that’s him,” she said.

Toland was floating over the edge of a cliff, seemingly waiting for Artemis to come speak to him. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

“I’ve talked to him once, actually,” Apollo said, turning to walk in the other direction.

“Wait, you have?” Artemis asked, walking after him. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in what he had to say.”

Apollo shrugged. “I’m not. Just curious about him specifically. He… didn’t appreciate my questions.”

She snorted. “What did you ask him?”

“I just asked how he became a tiny ball of light,” he chuckled. “He didn’t seem to like that much.” he paused for a moment. “He mentioned you, actually.”

“Oh? What’d he say?”

He shrugged. “Something about how I shouldn’t associate myself with a ‘squanderer’ like you. I meant to ask you about that earlier.”

Artemis sighed. “Remember when we killed Oryx? Technically, according to the Sword Logic, I should have taken his throne after he died.”

“Oh yeah, I suppose the old man was obsessed with the Hive, wasn’t he?” Apollo kicked a small rock and watched it skitter away.

“Yep,” Artemis replied. “He chose to live by the sword, and look at him now.”

Apollo chuckled. “Well, let’s promise to not do anything Sword Logic-y, yeah? Don’t wanna end up like Toland.” he held out a hand. “Promise?”

Artemis smiled and took it. “Promise.” she shook his hand a little harder than necessary, making Apollo laugh.

“Now, let’s get out of here,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “I don’t know if Toland was listening to that, or…”

Artemis giggled. “Not like he can do anything,” she said, taking Virgil out anyway. “Let’s get back to the ship.”


	13. Duality

Virgil waited by the bottom of the Ziggurat and watched as his guardian walked up the stairs with the Shard of Darkness. She paused at the top for a moment, looking back down at him before climbing the last few steps. He turned away as she reached the top.

Virgil wasn’t sure how he felt about the Darkness powers. 

Actually, he was.

It terrified him.

It terrified him how his guardian had taken to the Darkness so easily, how she talked less and less.

Virgil turned as Artemis walked down back to him. She swiftly walked past, barely looking at him.

“Artemis, I know what The Stranger says, but… are you sure about this? This is a thin line you’re walking. I just want to make sure you’re not losing sight of the Light,” he said, floating over to hover over her shoulder.

“You worry too much,” Artemis replied, shaking snow off her boots.

Virgil huffed. “Well, maybe this time it’s justified. You’ve… changed since we got here.”

“You heard The Stranger!” she exclaimed, exasperated. “We need the Darkness to defeat Eramis. And you don’t need to worry about me. I can use both the Light and the Dark to defend humanity. I’m  _ fine _ .”

Virgil sighed. _I’m just worried that you’ll tip over to the wrong side,_ He thought as he watched the ice creep up his guardian’s arm.


	14. Cupid's Arrows

Wyvern shivered and shoved his hands in his pockets as a cold wind blew through the streets of the city. Lanterns and candles lit up the many shops and storefronts they passed. Children were everywhere, and Wyvern almost got toppled over by a horde of them. Apollo had teased him about it for a while after that.

“Hey Wyvern! Get over here, you slowpoke!” he heard Phoenix shout. He caught sight of her waving at him outside a store advertising lanterns shaped like famous guardians. Apollo leaned on the wall next to the door as he scanned the crowd.

“You two need to stop running off,” Wyvern grumbled as he finally caught up to the two hunters.

Phoenix crossed her arms. “ _ We’re _ not running off. You’re just slow.”

“Hmph. I should have gotten Wren to chaperone you. This is more hassle than it’s worth,” he shivered again, hunching his shoulders against the wind.

Apollo raised an eyebrow. “You’re shivering,” he stated.

Wyvern glared at him. “Thank you, captain obvious.”

“Hold on,” Apollo said, stepping up to him. Wyvern was a good few inches taller than him, so Apollo had to tip his head back to meet Wyvern’s eyes.

“What are you doing?” Wyvern asked as Apollo started to unwrap the scarf he had been wearing.

“I don’t want to hear you complaining about the cold the entire time we’re here,” Apollo replied, reaching up to wrap the scarf around Wyvern’s neck. “There. You better give it back later. Now, I want to see if I can find an Artemis lantern. She’ll be  _ pissed _ when she gets back home.”

“You go ahead, we’ll catch up with you,” Phoenix said before Wyvern could react to whatever had just happened.

He watched as Apollo shrugged and pushed the door to the store open. He realized he was still gripping the scarf and quickly let his hands fall to his sides.

“Looks like Cupid just shot an arrow,” Phoenix sang, nudging Wyvern’s shoulder.

Wyvern looked down at her. “I don’t know what you mean,” he said, hoping she didn’t notice how red his face was.

Phoenix stared at him for a moment before shrugging and walking toward the store. “Whatever you say, Wyv.”

Later, when he was returning the scarf back to Apollo, Phoenix made a bow shooting motion and he had never wanted to throw something out a window more than he had then.


	15. Rift

The Dreaming City is a strange place.

Its location has been hidden for so long, and there are still so many secrets the Reef holds.

After Riven was slain, the curse of the Taken was unleashed upon the City. You’d think the three week cycle would be the strangest thing about the City, but it gets stranger.

It may be because the Awoken were born out of a rift of Light and Dark. Perhaps it’s a result of the curse. Nevertheless, in the Dreaming City, the line between the real and Ascendant realms is very thin, especially near the Watchtower. You could be in the real world one minute and the Ascendant realm the next.


	16. Prey

Apollo cursed and ducked behind the rock as he heard a growl of surprise come from the Hive knight he was hunting. 

He can’t believe he’d  _ missed _ .

He figured he had a few seconds before the knight figured out where the arrow had come from. He slung the bow across his back and, when he was sure it was safe, darted into a clump of bushes. He quickly grabbed the branch above him and hauled himself into the tree.

He wasn’t sure what he was thinking when he accepted the bounty. For one, he was in a part of the Cosmodrome he didn’t know very well, and for another, it was a solo mission. Apollo  _ hated _ solo missions.

He shook his head and turned his attention back to his prey. As the knight inspected the rock he had been hiding behind earlier, he nocked another arrow in his bow.

Apollo took a deep breath and released the arrow.

He missed.

“Fuck,” he muttered as the knight snapped its head up and roared.

He put his bow away and jumped to the ground. The knight raised its weapon and shot at him, but he dodged just in time.

He unsheathed his sword and thrust forward, impaling the knight. It dissolved into dust and green mist.

“Well, you got him eventually,” Cricket said, materializing next to him.

Apollo took his helmet off and inhaled the clean air. “Whatever. Just inform the Vanguard the job’s done.”

Cricket turned to him, squinting. “You know, you could use some more practice with that bow.”

Apollo gave her a wounded look. “I’m not  _ that _ bad, am I?”

“I’m just saying, Artemis probably wouldn’t make fun of you if you asked nicely.”

“...Shut up.”


	17. Little Prince

Artemis had always thought Prince Uldren Sov was intimidating.

The first time she met him in the Reef, he had seemed so… present in the Awoken court. It was clear that he was respected, though she took great satisfaction in the look on his face when she dropped the head of the Gate Lord in front of him. 

When she heard about what he had done to the Awoken, she had been surprised. Sure, he was full of himself, but she didn’t think he was  _ evil _ .

And when he was captured and put in the Prison of Elders, she still couldn’t rest easy. Even though he was being held in one of the best prisons in the system.

And she ended up being right. Uldren had killed Cayde, escaped with his Barons, and wreaked havoc across the Tangled Shore. She was too angry to notice it back then, but she remembered being most afraid of not the Barons, but Uldren Sov.

Though he didn’t seem so scary when he was on the ground with two guns pointed at his head.

At that moment, he looked so, so small.


	18. Oathkeeper

Apollo had been walking for forever.

His ghost, Cricket, had rezzed him a few days (weeks?) ago, and it felt like he’d been walking since. Cricket kept reassuring him that she knew the way to the City, but sometimes he felt that they were walking in endless circles.

One night, as Apollo tended to a fire and Cricket stared out into the trees, he finally voiced a thought he’d been having for a while. 

He sighed. “Are we ever going to make it to the Last City? We’ve been travelling for  _ weeks, _ ” he looked up at Cricket, who hovered on the other side of the fire. “I’m  _ tired. _ ”

Cricket met his gaze. “I may be unsure of mostly everything, but there is one thing I will make sure of,” she floated over to him. “Apollo, I  _ will _ get you home, I promise.”

Apollo gave her a skeptical look. 

Cricket sighed. “I know promises mean almost nothing out here in the wilds, but at least it’s something to hold onto, right? I’ve seen so many people lose hope, and it’s heartbreaking.” she sounded pleading. “So promise me you won’t lose hope, okay?”

Apollo looked away. “Yeah, okay. I promise.”

And he kept it. Even when he felt like he was working toward nothing, he didn’t break his oath.

And months later, as his ghost led him through one last forest path, he realized Cricket had kept her promise too.


	19. Iron

“Lord Saladin is returning to the Tower tomorrow, isn’t he?”

Wren looked up to where Saladin was usually set up. “Is that tomorrow already? I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a while since the last Iron Banner.”

“Me too, but…” Artemis looked nervous. “What’s he going to think about… you know,”

Wren looked back down at her. “Oh, Stasis?” he paused. “I’m guessing that he’s not going to be happy about it.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Artemis absentmindedly fiddled with the ends of her cloak. “How’s he going to react?”

Wren patted her shoulder. “Well, however he reacts doesn’t matter. You decided to use Stasis for good, right?”

“Yes, but-”

“If Saladin doesn’t see that, that’s his fault. I know your hold on the Darkness is strong. I know you can control it,” Wren said, squeezing her shoulder.

Artemis gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Wren.”

“No problem.”


	20. Wastelands

The Moon was a war zone.

Everywhere Wyvern looked, destruction and death greeted him. Thrall and Acolyte bodies were strewn across the Lunar surface, along with  _ far _ too many dead guardians and ghosts. His own Fireteam was out in the fray somewhere (alive, he hoped. He didn’t know what he would do if they weren’t.)

It was clear the decision to try to drive the Hive off Luna was a terrible one. He’d been separated from his Fireteam a day earlier. He’d managed to stay out of the worst battles and skirmishes, but it was only a matter of time before his luck ran out.

He’d always thought Luna was a calm place, somewhere he could go when he wanted an escape from the bustling of the City.

Looking at it now, though, it was clear that it was nothing more than a wasteland.


	21. Not Forgotten

Artemis set down her tablet, staring out the window of her ship in shock. As soon as she heard the news about the Traveler reforming, she flew back to the City. Just as she was starting to feel some hope, she finds out the Darkness took Io, Titan, Mercury, and Mars. The Vanguard had officially declared Asher Mir and Sloane missing.

And she thought things couldn’t get worse.

“Artemis, are you alright?” Virgil said, materializing in front of her.

Artemis sighed. “No, to be perfectly honest. We’ve lost  _ so much _ this year. How are we supposed to come back from this?”

“We will. We have to,” Virgil replied. “As long as we remember what we fight for, we’ll be okay. They may be gone, but they’re not forgotten.”

Artemis smiled. “You always know what to say, huh?”

Virgil buried himself into the hood of her cloak instead of replying. His warmth was comforting, and for the first time, she allowed herself to hope.


	22. Not Forgotten

Artemis set down her tablet, staring out the window of her ship in shock. As soon as she heard the news about the Traveler reforming, she flew back to the City. Just as she was starting to feel some hope, she finds out the Darkness took Io, Titan, Mercury, and Mars. The Vanguard had officially declared Asher Mir and Sloane missing.

And she thought things couldn’t get worse.

“Artemis, are you alright?” Virgil said, materializing in front of her.

Artemis sighed. “No, to be perfectly honest. We’ve lost  _ so much _ this year. How are we supposed to come back from this?”

“We will. We have to,” Virgil replied. “As long as we remember what we fight for, we’ll be okay. They may be gone, but they’re not forgotten.”

Artemis smiled. “You always know what to say, huh?”

Virgil buried himself into the hood of her cloak instead of replying. His warmth was comforting, and for the first time, she allowed herself to hope.


	23. What's Inside?

Crow looked up at Artemis as she thrust a wrapped box into his hands. “What’s this?” he asked.

Artemis gave him a rare smile. “Just open it!”

Crow raised an eyebrow at her excitement, but quietly obliged. He tore the box open, glancing around furtively to make sure no one was paying him any close attention.

Two large cookies greeted him as he opened the box. He stared at them in wonder for a moment before looking back up at the gifter.

Glint spun his shell happily. “Are these for us? You’re too sweet!”

“Thank you,” Crow said earnestly. “Truly.”

Artemis smiled. “Happy Dawning, Crow.”

“Happy Dawning, Artemis.”


	24. Loner

All hunters were loners.

Well, most of them, anyway. Apollo definitely wasn’t. He was one of the few hunters that thrived off other people’s company. He always tried to go on missions with other guardians whenever possible. Cricket liked to tease him about how he’s ‘the least outgoing extroverted hunter in the Sol System.’ He’s still not quite sure what to make of that description.

Most other guardians are surprised when he mentions that he dislikes solo missions (and being alone in general). They always expect him to  _ like _ being alone, to enjoy the empty silence with nothing to fill it except his own thoughts.

He’d had enough alone time before he’d made it to the City.

Most hunters were loners.

Apollo wasn’t one of them.


	25. A Feast in Time of Plague

It was one of those rare times where the entire fireteam managed to get a few days off from their guardian duties and relax before they inevitably had to get to work again.

This time, they decided to take a walk through the City to see the Dawning decorations. Currently, Artemis and the others were sitting in a cafe, warming up before they braved the cold again. 

Artemis took a sip of her hot chocolate and looked over the rim of the cup at Apollo, who sat across from her. He had barely touched his own drink. His eyes were unfocused as he absentmindedly nursed his cup.

Artemis stared at him. “Apollo, you look troubled.”

Apollo jumped. “Yeah,” he said, furrowing his brows. “I just… is this the right time to be celebrating? Right after the Darkness took four planets?”

Wyvern brought his mug to his lips. “Actually, two of those were moons.”

Apollo smacked his arm. “You know what I meant!”

“Well, I could argue that a celebration is needed now more than ever,” Wren cut in. “Everyone needs a pick me up after everything that happened this year. We need a reminder that we need to hold on to hope now more than ever.”

“Besides, I don’t think you’d want to skip Dawning this year!” Phoenix said, gesturing to the lanterns that hung around the cafe. 

Wyvern scoffed, unconvinced. “It just seems insensitive, is all. Although, I’m not one to want to break tradition, either.”

Apollo took a sip from his mug. “I have to admit, I do feel more relaxed ever since the festivities started.”

“But do we  _ want _ to be more relaxed?” Wyvern asked. “Shouldn’t now be the time to be vigilant?”

Everyone was silent for a moment.

Artemis sighed. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”


	26. Vision

“You know, you never told me about your vision from the Traveler.”

Artemis glanced away from her sniper and over at Wyvern, whose white armor made him almost invisible against the snowy landscape of Europa. 

Artemis thought for a moment. “What vision?”

“The one that helped you find the shard of the Traveler, remember?” Wyvern set his own sniper down and turned to her.

“Oh, that one.” she sat back. “What’s there to tell? The Traveler sent me that vision right after I lost my Light.”

“And then you immediately got it back,” he muttered. Did he sound… bitter?

Artemis frowned. “Are you angry?”

“No!” Wyvern said quickly, before adding, “Maybe a little. You were the only guardian to get their Light from the shard. Everyone else that tried never came back. What made the Traveler choose  _ you, _ specifically?”

Artemis looked away, trying not to feel hurt. She knew Wyvern often asked questions without thinking first, though he meant well. His bluntness may have been a result of being rezzed in the dark age, so she couldn’t really blame him for it.

She was just glad he couldn’t see her expression under her helmet.

Artemis looked back up at Wyvern. “I wish I could answer that, but it hardly matters anymore, does it?”

Wyvern stared at her for a moment. “I suppose it doesn’t.”


	27. Shattered hopes

Artemis ran onto the deck of the Immortal, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw the caged Traveler. She had just destroyed the shield generators and was waiting for Amanda to pick her up, but now it was clear that she wasn’t going to come.

“How do we come back from this?” Virgil’s voice shook as he spoke.

“You don’t.”

Artemis whirled around as someone else spoke. A Cabal warrior stepped out onto the deck. He wore all white armor. A gun hung at his side, and a mask covered half his face.

Ghaul.

He gestured toward the caged Traveler. “Welcome to a world without light.”

The cage lit up, sending orange ripples across the surface of the Traveler. Artemis stumbled, suddenly feeling weak.

“Artemis, something’s wrong,” Virgil said weakly. He dropped to the ground like a rock.

Artemis glared up at Ghaul for a second before she was kicked to the ground. Still reeling from…  _ whatever _ happened to her Light, the most she could do was grab Virgil and protect him as much as she could.

“Do not look at me, creature!” Ghaul towered over her. “You are weak. Undisciplined. Cowering behind walls. You’re not brave. You’ve merely forgotten the fear of death. Allow me to reacquaint you.”

Before she could do anything, Ghaul kicked her again, causing her to lose her grip on Virgil. To her dismay, he fell over the edge of the ship before she could grab him again.

She turned back to Ghaul, furious. She hated how she was too dizzy to get to her feet. She hated how she was on her knees, forced to look up at Ghaul. Though she couldn’t deny the hopelessness she felt when Ghaul stepped forward.

“Your kind never deserved the power you were given,” Ghaul snarled. “I am Ghaul,” he looked down at Artemis, and she felt her stomach drop with something she hadn’t felt in a long time- fear.

“And your Light is mine.”


	28. Fire of the Phoenix

It was one of those rare nights where Wyvern had the apartment to himself. Usually he spent the time alone reading, painting, or some other activity that would occupy his mind, but tonight his thoughts were racing too quickly for him to focus on anything. He found himself thinking about his days in the Dark age. One specific conversation, to be precise:

_ Wyvern was staying at a small town for a few days to rest before moving on. He’d been careful to keep the fact that he was a risen a secret, but he wasn’t sure how well he was keeping it. He was sure a few people suspected, but he’d successfully dodged their questions (Which probably made him look even more suspicious, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that.) _

_ One night, as he stood on the outskirts of the village and watched the sun set, one of the townsfolk came to join him.  _

_ “What’re you doing out here?” she asked as she sat down next to him. “You know you don’t have to stand guard anymore, right? The risen are here for that.” (Wyvern couldn’t remember much about her, just that she must have been around his age when he died. So, not that old.) _

_ “Just watching the sunset,” he replied, nodding to the now dark sky. “Why? Did you need me for something?” _

_ The woman stared at him. “Well, no. It’s just that I’ve known everyone in this village for so long, the only interesting people to talk to are the travelers.” _

_ Wyvern smiled. “Well, too bad I’m leaving tomorrow then, huh?” _

_ “Yeah,” she said, disappointed. _

_ They continued to talk like that for a little while longer, in hushed tones. Somehow, they managed to get on the topic of the risen. _

_ “I’ve seen one of them die before, you know,” she said in a whisper, as if she would get in trouble for even mentioning them. “In a battle against those Fallen. I wasn’t supposed to be outside, but I wanted to see how the risen fought. Instead, I saw how they died.” _

_ Her voice quivered not with fear, but with something more akin to awe. “One of the risen was stabbed to death. Before I could scream, though, a drone- they call them ghosts, I think- shined its light over him, and he came back to life.” _

_ Wyvern raised an eyebrow, interest piqued. “What did it look like to you? I always imagine it being sort of like waking up from a nap.” _

_ The woman shook her head. “It’s more… dramatic than that.” Her gaze flitted over to his, lingering a second too long. _

_ “It was like... watching a phoenix rise from the ashes.” _


	29. Arrival

“Well, Zavala wasn’t kidding.”

Artemis stood on Io, a little way away from a Pyramid. A  _ pyramid _ . On  _ Io _ . Artemis could hardly believe it herself.

“I doubt he’d joke about something like this,” Virgil said. Then, quieter. “I can’t believe they’re… here. And we’re going straight toward it. And after what happened last time, too…”

Artemis adjusted her grip on her gun and started forward. “I’m sure it’ll go much better than last time. We know what we’re dealing with now. Sort of.”

She knew neither of them believed that. The truth was undeniable.

The Darkness had arrived.


End file.
